Gnom
gnom (gnome) was a folk pop band formed by Janove Ottesen and Geir Zahl. The band gradually transformed into Kaizers Orchestra, retaining all of the band members. The sound of their music was heavily inclined towards pleasant, melodic folk pop whose lyrical content was often nostalgic and melancholy, but they also delved into other genres such as sailor shanties and what they referred to as "ompa" music, which would become the musical cornerstone of Kaizers Orchestra. Biography Formation and Mys (1997-1999) and Geir Zahl during the days of gnom]] gnom was formed by Janove Ottesen and Geir Zahl around 1997, not long after the band in which they previously played together, Blod, snått og juling, was disbanded after hitting a creative impasse. Ottesen and Zahl recorded an acoustic demo consisting mainly of songs which would later be released on their first studio album, as well as some others which did not make the cut. In 1998, they began compiling a full band; they hired fellow students Rune Solheim and Helge Risa to be their drummer and organist, respectively. Rolf Prestø, the only educated musician in the group at the time, became their bass player. The band rehearsed regularly at Bergen University College and performed sporadic live shows at small venues in and around Bergen. gnom had gathered a small, but faithful fanbase consisting mostly of friends of the band members, and residents of Ottesen and Zahl's hometown of Bryne. Both Ottesen and Zahl had rock-solid faith in their abilities as musicians and songwriters, and they expected nothing but success for their band. They recorded their only studio album, Mys, at Shimmer Recordings, a small Bergen-based label. Despite mostly positive reviews from local papers, they failed to gain any further popularity; the album also failed to sell, leaving the formerly optimistic group somewhat disheartened and unsure of their future in music. Furthermore, Prestø eventually left the band and was replaced by Jon Sjøen. Transformation into Kaizers Orchestra (1999-2000) , gnom's only studio album]] However, a song written by Ottesen which had not been recorded, "Bastard", excited attendees of their concerts on another level than their other material; indeed, the song diverged vastly from their general sound in a multitude of ways, imbued with surrealistic storytelling lyrics, a raucous vocal performance, and strange percussion in the form of oil barrels, all reminiscent of Tom Waits. "Bastard" had itself been inspired by a song from ''Mys, "Hemmelig beskjed", which also featured some of the creative elements. Realizing the potential inherent in this form of music, Ottesen and Zahl began composing new songs, drawing from "Bastard" as a source of inspiration. gnom slowly became the subject of a metamorphosis; on 1 January 2000 the band was officially retitled Kaizers Orchestra, its name derived from the lyrics of "Bastard", in which is mentioned "a certain Mr. Kaizer", the owner of the world's largest Siamese cat. A sixth member, Terje Vinterstø, was eventually added as Kaizers Orchestra's second guitarist. One of the first known performances of Kaizers Orchestra material was held at the venue Det beste stedet in Sandnes, Norway, where Ottesen and Zahl performed a set of acoustic Kaizers Orchestra songs, alongside two separate sets for gnom and Blod, snått og juling material. Kaizers Orchestra quickly gained an underground reputation as a unique live act, and with the release of Ompa til du dør in 2001, they became a nationwide critical and commercial success. Mys re-release and post-disbandment activity (2003-present) and Geir Zahl performing acoustically]] Around 2003, Kaizers Orchestra won a minor legal battle with Shimmer Recordings over the rights to the master tapes for Mys. Once back in their possession, the album was subject to digital remastering and remixing; it was eventually re-released with different cover art and a radically changed track listing, omitting three songs from the original release, and adding "Bastard", which had been recorded by Kaizers Orchestra for the Kaizers Orchestra EP. Printed in 5,000 copies, the remastered Mys became a modest critical and financial success. To promote the release of Kontroll på kontinentet, Kaizers Orchestra's official auto-biography, Ottesen and Zahl embarked on a promotional tour, during which they performed acoustic renditions of songs from throughout their career, including songs by gnom and Blod, snått og juling. A sizable part of the book chronicles the history of gnom, and it includes rare photographs of the band during live performance. Category:Kaizers Orchestra